Improvement in pencil-sharpeners



g En 'rArrEs WALTEBH. KEYES, 0F PRINCETON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF HIS RIGHT TO AMOS H. KEYES, VOF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PENCILSHARPENERS Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 161,126, dated March 23, '1875; application filed February 13, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER H. KEYES, of Princeton, in the county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pencil-Sharpeners, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in Which- Figure l is a sectional isometrical perspective `View, showing the arrangement of the sharpener in the case; and Fig. 2, a sectional perspective view, showing the opening through which the pencil is inserted, and also the locking mechanism.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different igures of the drawlng.

My invention relates more especially to that class of pencil-Sharpeners which are employed in pointing or sharpening wooden pencils; and consists in a sharpener provided with a casing or box for retaining the shavings or Whittlings produced in sharpening the pencil.

It is well known that in the use of ordinary pencil-Sharpeners the Whittlings or shavings from the pencil are left to fall directly upon the desk or floor, in which respect they are very objectionable.V 'My invention is designed to obviate this imperfection, and to that end I incase the sharpener in a box or cylindrical casing, in a manner which I Will now proceed to describe in detail.

In the drawing, A B represent the two sections, or top and bottom, of the box or case for containing the sharpener, the section A having an annular flange or tenon, over which the part B passes, resting Hush upon a shoulder or step thus formed, as shown. The iiange is provided with a locking-slot, z', and projecting inwardly from the part B there is a pin, Il, so arranged in respect to the slot that when the two parts forming the case are united, and slightly turned in opposite directions, the pin will pass into the slot, and firmly lock them together.

The sharpener E is of the usual description, except that it is provided at the eduction end or point with a broad annular flange or head, D, the outer plane of which is parallel with the outer surface of the opposite end or head.

Opening through the cover B of the case, there is a large aperture, J, and through the part A a corresponding but smaller aperture, F, the centers of both these apertures being coincident with the longitudinal axial line of the box. These apertures are interiorly countersunk, forming rabbets in the inner surfaces of the ends of the box, concentric with the apertures, to admit the heads C D, a mortise or slot being also provided in the part B for the end of the knife-flange fr, in such a manner that when the sharpener is placed in the box, and the sections A B secured by the slot and pin, as described, the sharpener will be firmly retained in the central position, (shown in Fig. 1,) and prevented from revolving or turning with the pencil by the ange x, and from becoming otherwise displaced, by the 'rabbets or countersinks around the apertures J F, into which the heads C D are respectively inserted, the head D serving to steady the sharpener in its position when the case is closed, and the aperture F permitting the point of the pencil to project through the sharpener without being broken off.

In the use of my improved sharpener the pencil is inserted through the aperture J, and revolved against the cutting-edge of the knife G until properly sharpened, the Whittlings or shavings falling into and being retained by the case A B until the same is lled.

It will be obvious that the sharpener E may be so constructed as to be integral with or rmly attached to either section of the case, and that other means may be employed for opening or connecting and locking the sections ofthe case together, if preferred, without departing from the spirit or principle of my invention.

It will also be obvious that by securing the Sharpener in a case, as described, it can be more readily handled or controlled, and the operation of sharpening the pencil more easily and perfectly performed, than when the same is not incased.

Having thus explained my improvement, what I claim is- As a new article of manufacture, a pencil- Sharpener, E, having a divided surrounding casing, A B, constructed with the opening J, to insert the pencil, and the locking device H z', as set forth.

WALTER H. KEYES. Witnesses:

WM. H. BROWN, HENRY L. SHAW. 

